Improvement in letter-boxes



, llly @dauin-tta gmt@ ELWINULARENGEWELD, or NEW Yoan-AN. Y., Assieivoa'ro HIM's'nL'r AND {renoncer} o. v@nmz-IER, or sans rLAcuf Letters Patent No. 108,(l73, dated October 4, 1870.

IMPRovEMENr In LETTER-Boxes.

` The ScheduleV referred to fin these'Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Toa-ll zubereiten-ay concern;` Y

Be it known that I, ELwnv Chausson WELD, of New Yorlccity,"in the county of New York and'in the State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inrLetter-Boxes; and do herebyl declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact deseriptionthereo, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making Ya part of this specilica tion, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device; Figure 2 is a front elevationK of the saule and, Figures ,3 and ltirare vertical sections onthe lines :e a: and y y, 1espec tively,of iigs.' 1 and 2.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures. l l Y The object of my invention is to produce a letterrbox, having an upper compartment for the. reception circulaicover, B, and provided'in and through its front side with auopening `for the removal of j letters, which opening is closed by means of a door, C, all of usual construction. p V c l A hollow metal cylinder, D,corresponding in size and general shape to the space within the upper end of the box A, immediately beneaththe cover B is provided upon its ends with `ionrnals E, which, resting within suitable bearings formed in the top of said box, permit said cylinder to revolve freely i therein.

.about one-fourth of thesheet .metal forming the perlpheryof the cylinder is removed, so as to furnish ready access to its interior, and a heavy metal plate,

F, having the fornof a fourth of a circle, is secured toccach enel of .t sameimmediately at said open ing, so as to overbalance said cylinder, and cause the' side to remain downward,except when purposely changed. l

Secured toy or upon Vthe outer end of-one of the l p jounalsoutsideof the boxA, is a circular metal plate or disk, G, corresponding in size with the cyl-. inder I), through the end ,of which, and through said-` disk are cut two corresponding slots, H, at points slight] to one side of the lower-'vertical center of said cylindlwt naturally hangs suspeMled,y

- A'third slot, I, corresponding in size andin relatilve distance from the bearings with the slot-s H, is out through the end of the cover B at itsupper vertical center, so that when thecylinder D is revolved until said slots H are uppermost, they shall coincide with said slot I, and fnrnishfcotnmunication with the interior of said cylinder.

As thus constructed, in order to insert letters or papers within the box, the cylinder and disk must be rotated unt-il their openings coincide with that in the cover, the lettersbe passed through said open ings into said cylinder, which, upon being released, turns upon its 4bearings unt-il its open side is downward, when said letters ,drop into the body or bottom of the box. l

It will be observed that, when the cylinderremains with its open' side downward, access to the interior of the-box through the opening infthe cover is pre-` vented'by the solid portions of the disk and cylin-v Ader endjand that when said openings coincide, so'as to afibrfd access' to' said cylinder, all communication with the lower part oi' saidrbox is cnt 'oii by the metal plate forming the periphery ofthe latter, so that, unless broken orv deranged internally, nothing deposited in the box can be removed except through the door C at its front. Y

The object sought-,in placing the `openings within the cylinder-head and disk to one side of the center oi' the over-balancing segments, is to `prevent the. cylinder from becoming poised when the. openings are at thenpper vertical center, as would be the case were vsaid openings'` andy overbalances coincident radially.

A stud, b, projecting outward from the end of the cover B, so as to engage with a shoulder, g, form ed upon the edge of the dis G, and prevent the latter and the cylinder from revolving furthenthan is uccessary to cause the openings H and I to coincide, and a stud, K, proJecting outward from said disk,

for the purpose of furnishing a handle, with which to turn the cylinder, completes the device, the operation and advantagesof which -have been s'uiiciently` explained.

I am aware that letter@ boxes have heretoibre beenconstructed, containing a pivoted overbalanced cylindrical receiver, having an opening forthe reception of letters,tl`1at,could be caused to correspond with a-siinilar opening in and through the wall oi'v said box, the/latter of whichopenings was closed by means of a shield or semi-'cylindrical cover, eX cept when coincident with the opening in said cylinder, and do notclaim, broadly, such combination of parts.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits oi my invention, n

What I claim as new, is 11n testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have The general construction and relative arrangement; hereunto sei; my hand thisl 18th my of August, of the box A and B, provided kwith the opening I, 1870.

the cylindei D, provided with the journals E, the v ELWIN'CLARENGE WELD. oval-balances F, and the opening H, and the disk G Witnesses: provided with Athe opening H and the stud K, sub- THEO. C. GLAZIER, stnntnilyns and for the puipose set forth. THQ. SADLER. 

